Aakhol Ghor, the Assamese Cuisines and Foods from Assam

Its all about Food and Food Habits from the land of blue hills and red river, Assam.

Aakhol Ghor means Kitchen in Assamese. Assamese traditional Kitchens normally has two parts. First the dining area plus a small cooking space for tea etc. And the next bigger and more functional room is the actual kitchen with at least two earthen fire places (chowka).If you are a food lover you can hope to see a lot of authentic Assamese Recipes in this place......

DISCLAIMER

Some famous Chef of India once said, " India is so unique, one can find three different recipes for the same chicken curry in the three houses lined in the same row. Every kitchen and every cook in India has it's own cook book, unlike rest of the world."
I personally feel it is so well said. Even in my case, you might find small to big differences in your known method of cooking and the ones posted here. I call them true Assamese for two main reasons, one: because of the spices used, and two: my granny knew nothing beyond her village ( she did not believe that cauliflower can be green, which is Broccoli). So whatever she cooked was passed on over generation. And my Mom finds it hard to believe anything can be cooked beyond her traditional methods( she is best at it, though she makes excellent Indo - Chinese things, invented). So please feel free to put in your comments / correction. One thing I can assure is I have cooked all these ( everything) myself with my own hands at least once. So whatever is here is tried and tested. You are always welcome to do your bit of experiment !!!!!

One Simple Quick Side Dish....

Ingredients:

1. Half Cup Masoor Dal ( red bengal daal)
2. One small Onion finely chopped.
3. Green Chilly, chopped.
4. 1 spoon mustard oil
5. Salt to taste
6. A cotton big handkerchief / Piece of cloth.

Method:

First and fore most your piece of cloth has to be so clean that you can eat it. It should be literally eatable.
If you cook rice in pressure cooker your work is more than half done. Put the daal in the cloth piece and make a pouch by tying it tight. The knot has to be tight but make a pouch double the amount of daal. Put this pouch in your rice, to cook along the rice. Once your rice is done, take the pouch out and let it cool a bit.

Take out the daal from the pouch, add all the rest of the ingredients, mesh well. It is a delicious side dish for any rice variety. I some times stuff this into a Paratha too :-D
1 comment:

Mach Aru Kala Teel Curry - Fish Curry in Black Sesame


Oh well.. long since my last recipe... sorry about that. Here is one absolute authentic Assamese dish.
Ingredients:


  1. Fish ( Rahu or Climbing Perch)

  2. Black Sesame seeds (Kala Teel) - About half cup, paste ( Use the black variety with the "chilka")

  3. Galric - 7 to 8 Medium cloves

  4. Salt to taste

  5. Green Chilly- about 3, slit them

  6. Water - Boiled

  7. mustered Oil - 2 Spoon
Method:
Clean the fish and deep fry, do not forget to add salt and turmeric. The fish should be 90% fried.
Heat a wok ( Karhai). Add the oil and bring it to boil. Add the garlic cloves. Sputter till brown. Add the Gingely / till paste. Add Salt and the green chilly simultaneously. Add the boiling hot water. ( The amount of water should be double the amount of gravy desired. About a Liter is fine for this amount of other ingredient). Let is come to bubble. Add the fish pieces.
Now let it shimmer on a very low flame. It is ready to serve when the water is half of its amount. serve with rice....
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